Dan Ware was an officer with the Sacramento Police Department from the 1960s to the 1980s. Ware, one of the first black police officers in Sacramento, died in 1994.  Today, his legacy lives on in conversations about what makes Meadowview special. 

CapRadio’s documentary unit, The View From Here, hosts community engagement events that run parallel to its reporting projects. During community listening sessions to learn about Meadowview, participants were asked: What are the hidden gems of the South Sacramento neighborhood? And that’s where Ware’s name and story came up.

Ware mostly patrolled in Oak Park, where many Meadowview residents worked and spent time. As reporter and podcast host Pauline Bartolone interviewed those who knew Ware, a portrait emerged of a man who had a positive impact on the young people around him. Ware patrolled by foot, and was able to steer kids toward activities, like baseball, when he saw them getting into trouble. He coached Little League and a few years after his death, the community named a ballfield after him.

However, his worth wasn’t seen by everyone during his time with the Sacramento Police Department. This latest episode of Making Meadowview tells the story of how the officer faced — and fought — racism within his own police department.

A full-length version of this episode is available here. That longer version includes a discussion with podcast producer Sally Schilling about community policing and an interview with Sacramento Police Chief Daniel Hahn.